Dry July and Melbourne’s best mocktails

There is one week of Dry July to go, and now is the time to get creative. So what do you get when you mix a funky Melbourne bar, Sam Wood of Bachelor fame and some intense flavours in a glass? That’s right – mocktails with spunk!

Dry July is a month long challenge to keep off the booze, raising funds for cancer related services. Everyone seems to know someone who has been touched by cancer, and this is a great way to support the services provided to people suffering from cancer.

So, it is time to let your creative juices take over, and make some delicious and nutritious mocktails to get you through these last few days. Just because you are abstaining from alcohol doesn’t mean you have to miss out on some creative refreshments.

The benefits of a delicious mocktail are:

• You won’t be hung over the next day

• You won’t have the empty calories of the alcoholic cousin, the cocktail

• You will have a boost of winter fighting nutrients

• You will be up early the next morning to make the most of your day!

The Dry July team hosted a mocktail making class at the formidable Bad Frankie (yes, it is a tease going to a cosy bar specialising in the unique combination of homemade jaffles and Australian liqueurs and not having a little taste, but I will be back!) in cahoots with Sam Wood and his 28 by Sam Wood program.

We concocted a range of mocktails, under the instruction of Bad Frankies savvy alchemist Seb Costello, which included unique ingredients like molasses, pepperberry and rosemary.

Before we start, Seb secretly shares his mixology tricks of the trade (which can be used for cocktails too).

• Smell is as important as taste. Adding a garnish at the top of the glass, such as mint, provides a scent that entices the drinker to want more.

• Talking about mint, Seb suggests releasing the oils in mint before using it in mocktails by “slapping” it. The best way to describe this motion, is to put the mint in the palm of your hand and clap it with the other and the scent of the mint should be released.

• Two straws should be used to encourage sharing… Stirring the drink is really important. This is called “putting the drink to sleep” and ensures the flavours are mixed and the drink settles.

• When you are using egg whites, do a “dry shake” in the cocktail shaker before you add the rest of the ingredients. This will ensure your whites are as fluffy as possible.

And now for the mocktails (all recipes can be found on the Dry July or 28 by Sam Wood websites). These enchanting mixes were all finished off with magical Soda Stream aerated water, which is a fantastic tool to have on hand.

1. Pomegranate and Mint.

We started with a winter warming, antioxidant boosting pomegranate molasses and mint mocktail. This delicious concoction is from Sam Woods 28:28 program and with the mint inclusion adds not only a refreshing flavour but a boost to our digestion systems too.

2. Honey, lemon and bitters.

Next we concentrated on our healthy winter selves, with a good dose of cough-soothing honey syrup and vitamin C boosting lemon, as we say farewell to our winter colds. The bitters used was Australian Bitters, which was a surprisingly delicious addition.

3. Pineapple, cinnamon and chilli.

This time we got spicy! This spunky mocktail was not only scrumptious, but provided a metabolism speeding, vitamin C and B hit from the powerful chilli, and the secretly beneficial cinnamon which research has suggested it could reduce the body’s negative responses to eating high-fat meals amongst many other health benefits.

4. Cucumber, lime and rosemary.

This one gave us more vitamin C from the lime, a hydration boost from the cucumber and the special hit of rosemary gave us a digestion boost and antioxidant lift.

5. Pepperberry, egg whites and pomegranate.

Pepperberries are native to Australia and they have three times the antioxidants of blueberries. The egg whites make the drink taste almost like a soft meringue melting in your mouth.

So, now it is your turn.

Be sure to shout out your favourite mocktail recipes with us in the comments below!

Clare is a Melbourne based (degree qualified) nutritionist, passionate about helping people feast on Melbourne eats with health in mind. Passionate about teaching her clients about sensible, smart eating leading to a long healthy life.

MELBOURNE GIRL

The Melbourne Girl team enjoy a coffee hit every morning, are a step ahead of trends and are always up for a great time. We love a good sale, a long brunch on the weekends and are forever on the hunt for hidden shopping gems, delicious eateries, must-see sights and awesome events. We seek to provide insights that only a local can share and strive to immerse all our readers in the perfect Melbourian lifestyle!